Matrix tabulating and alignment tool



Jan. 3, 1967 w. A. THOMPSON MATRIX TABULATING AND ALIGNMENT TOOL Filed Sept. 27, 1965 O O O O O O E- 5 MW Waite r ,4 Tiomfwn @JJWWV United States Patent 3,295,668 MATRIX TABULATIN G AND ALIGNMENT TOOL Walter Albert Thompson, Traralgon, Victoria, Australia,

assignor to Alfred Robert Schlipalius, Traralgon, Victoria, Australia Filed Sept. 27, 1965, Ser. No. 490,517 Claims priority, application Australia, Oct. 2, 1964, 50,022/ 64 Claims. (Cl. 19947) This invention relates to the casting of type in the printing industry and particularly to the preparation of type matrix pieces prior to casting type therefrom.

A so-called casting stick is normally used for this purpose but this device suffers from the disadvantage that the accurate spacing of words formed from assembled matrix pieces, particularly between vertical column rulings, is rather an onerous task.

It is accordingly the principal objective of this invention to provide a tool for facilitating matrix tabulation and alignment.

With the above stated principal objective in view there is provided according to the invention a matrix tabulating tool comprising a calibrated channel shaped member for holding assembled matrix pieces, index means axially slidable within said channel member relative to one end of said member to define a matrix assembly space between said member and the end, an index key pivotally connected to said index means, and a plurality of adjustable spacing stops located along one side of the channel shaped member for individual engagement by the index key to facilitate selective spacing of the matrix pieces within the matrix assembly space.

In use the tool may be used to assemble matrix pieces in any desired relationship for a line of type with a considerable reduction in the time consumed by conventional methods.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood a practical arrangement thereof will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the complete tool;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation view thereof;

FIGURE 3 is a plan View thereof;

FIGURE 4 is a cross sectional view taken on the lines 4-4 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of FIGURE 3; and,

FIGURE 6 shows one of the spacing stops dismantled.

In the arrangement of the invention shown in the drawings, the tool comprises a generally channel shaped memher having a base 2 and vertical sidewalls 3 and 4, sidewall l being provided with longitudinal guideway 5.

Located in the channel for longitudinal movement therein is a sliding block 1 provided with a slot 6 for engage ment with the channel sidewall 3.

As shown in FIGURE 5 a locking member 13 is located within the sliding block 1 for engagement with a series of holes 14 provided in the sidewall 3. The holes 14 may be spaced at distances corresponding to standard ems, and by operation of the button 15 against the action of spring 16 the locking member may be disengaged from the holes 14 to allow the block 1 to be slid along the channel.

Associated with the sliding block 1 is an index key 7 and this index key is pivoted to the block about an axis 8 transverse to the sidewall 4 of the channel section. The inner bottom surface of the channel member is provided with a longitudinal scale 9 calibrated in standard ems and inches set into the inside face of the base 2 of the channel member.

One end of the channel member is provided with a transversely extending stop 10 from which the calibration Patented Jan. 3, 1967 of the longitudinal scale 9 and spacing of the holes 14 is commenced.

The side 4 of the channel member is provided with several vertically disposed spacing stops 11, each of which may he slid along the guideway 5 and fixed in any desired position by means of locking screws 12, or removed entirely.

Referring to FIGURES 4 and 6 each spacing stop consists of a body 11 provided with a key 17 a clamp 18 and locking screw 12. The spacing stops are assembled on the guideway 5 as shown in FIGURE 4, the clamps 18 being held in registration with the body members 11 by an index pin 19. When assembled spacing stops may be locked in any desired position along the guideway 5 by tightening the locking screws 12. The keys 17 slide in a series of grooves 20 formed in the sidewall 4 and by staggering the location of the keys 17 on a set of spacing stops to engage the various grooves 20 the spacing stops may be moved into intimate proximity if desired.

In operation of the tool to set a line of matrix pieces in columns the block 1 is slid along the channel to the stop 10 the spacing stops 11 are set, by reference to the scale 9 set in the bottom of the channel, along the side 4 of the channel at distances apart corresponding to the width of the columns in which the type is to be set. The sliding block 1 is then moved along the channel until the key member 7 rests against the first spacing stop.

A group of matrix pieces constituting the information to be set in the first column of type is then assembled manually and inserted in the space between the channel stop 10 and the sliding block 1 and by adding spacing pieces to each end of the matrix assembly it may be evenly spaced within the first column area. The sliding block 1 is then moved until the index key 7 meets the next spacing stop 11 and the above process repeated until the full line of matrix pieces is assembled. The assembled matrix pieces are then transferred to a casting stick and the corresponding line of type cast by known means.

It will be evident that once the tool has been set up for the first line of type any number of lines may be readily assembled from the same tool setting to quickly and accurately set up type for a sheet of printed information set in columns.

I claim:

1. A matrix tabulating tool comprising a calibrated channel shaped member for holding assembled matrix pieces, index means axially slidable within said channel member relative to one end of said member to define a matrix assembly space between said member and the end, an index key pivotally connected to said index means, a guideway located along one side of said channelshaped member and extending substantially the entire length of the tool and a plurality of vertically disposed adjustable spacing stops located along one side of said channel shaped member in said guideway for individual engagement by the index key to facilitate selective spacing of said matrix pieces within said matrix assembly space.

2. A matrix tabulating tool comprising a calibrated channel shaped member for holding assembled matrix pieces, an index block slidable within said channel member relative to one end of said member to define a matrix assembly space between said member and the end, a locking member in said index block for engagement with calibrated cooperating means spaced along one side of the channel shaped member, an index key pivotally connected to said index means, a guideway located along one side of said channel-shaped member and extending substantially the entire length of the tool and a plurality of vertically disposed adjustable spacing stops located along one side of said channel shaped member in said guideway for individual engagement by said index key to facilitate selective spacing of said matrix pieces within said matrix assembly space.

3. A matrix tabulating tool comprising a calibrated channel shaped member for holding assembled matrix pieces, an index block slidable within said channel member relative to one end of said member to define a matrix assembly space between said member and the end, a locking member in said index block for engagement with calibrated cooperating means spaced along one side of the channel shaped member, an index key pivotally connected to said index means, a guideway located along one side of said channel-shaped member extending substantially the entire length of the tool and a plurality of vertically disposed adjustable spacing stops located in said guideway along one side of said channel shaped member for individual engagement by said index key to facilitate selective spacing of said matrix pieces within said matrix assembly space, each spacing stop being at least partially slidably disposed in grooves provided in one wall of the channel shaped member.

4. A matrix tabulating tool according to claim 3 wherein each of the spacing stops may be locked in any selected position along the sidewall of the channel shaped member.

5. A matrix tabulating tool comprising a channel shaped member for holding assembled matrix pieces, a scale calibrated in standard units of measurement provided on the inner bottom surface of the channel shaped member, an index block slidable within said channel member relative to one end of said member to defined a matrix assembly space between said member and the end, a locking member in said index block for engagement with calibrated cooperating means spaced along one side of the channel shaped member, an index key pivotally connected to said index means, a guideway located along one side of said channel-shaped member extending substantially the entire length of the tool and a plurality of adjustable vertically disposed spacing stops located along one side of said channel shaped member in said guideway for individual engagement by the index key to facilitate selective spacing of the matrix pieces within the matrix assembly space, each spacing stop being slidably disposed in grooves provided in one wall of the channel shaped member.

References. Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 54,979 5/1866 Tillinghast 276--38 1,584,570 5/1926 Crandall 276-39 ROBERT E. PULFREY, Primary Examiner.

W. F. MCCARTHY, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A MATRIX TABULATING TOOL COMPRISING A CALIBRATED CHANNEL SHAPED MEMBER FOR HOLDING ASSEMBLED MATRIX PIECES, INDEX MEANS AXIALLY SLIDABLE WITHIN SAID CHANNEL MEMBER RELATIVE TO ONE END OF SAID MEMBER TO DEFINE A MATRIX ASSEMBLY SPACE BETWEEN SAID MEMBER AND THE END, AN INDEX KEY PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO SAID INDEX MEANS, A GUIDEWAY LOCATED ALONG ONE SIDE OF SAID CHANNELSHAPED MEMBER AND EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE TOOL AND A PLURALITY OF VERTICALLY DISPOSED ADJUSTABLE SPACING STOPS LOCATED ALONG ONE SIDE OF SAID CHANNEL SHAPED MEMBER IN SAID GUIDEWAY FOR INDIVIDUAL ENGAGEMENT BY THE INDEX KEY TO FACILITATE SELECTIVE SPACING OF SAID MATRIX PIECES WITHIN SAID MATRIX ASSEMBLY SPACE. 